Synopsis : In the slums of Rome, Vittorio ‘Accattone’ Cataldi supports himself as a pimp for his longtime girlfriend, Maddalena. When his meal ticket goes to jail after being assaulted by a pack of thugs, Accattone scrambles to survive, reduced to begging for food from his ex-wife, Ascenza. When he meets the virginal Stella, he sees a way back into his former profession.
Awards : 1962 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 1962 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalist, 1962 Avellino Neorealism Film Festival, 1963 BAFTA Awards
Director :
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Producer :
Alfredo Bini, Cino Del Duca
Screenplay :
Pier Paolo Pasolini, Sergio Citti
DOP :
Tonino Delli Colli
Editor :
Nino Baragli
Cast :
Franco Citti, Franca Pasut, Silvana Corsini
Pier Paolo Pasolini achieved fame and notoriety long before he entered the film industry. A published poet at 19, he had already written novels and essays before his first screenplay in 1954. His debut ‘Accattone’ (1961) was based on his own novel and caused a sensation. He was arrested in 1962 when his contribution to ‘Ro.Go.Pa.G.’ (1963) was considered blasphemous. ‘The Gospel According to St. Matthew’ (1964), which presented the Biblical story in a totally realistic style, was acclaimed as one of the few honest portrayals of Christ on screen.